Leading North Sea offshore workplace safety advocate Steve Rae has announced the next phase of his career after finishing his role at Step Change in Safety.
A survivor of the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster, Mr Rae announced in June he would be stepping down from his role as executive director of the member-led organisation.
Mr Rae will now focus his more than 40 years of professional experience into his new role as director of safety consulting firm Fortitude – Action Beyond Compliance.
After starting his career as an offshore technician, Mr Rae subsequently embarked on a long career as a senior leader and executive within global organisations.
He gained experience in a range of UK and international senior operational, management and presidential roles across engineering, drilling, project management, health and safety, and as a management consultant.
© Supplied by ShutterstockA former chair of the North Sea Chapter of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and a fellow of the Energy Institute, Mr Rae set up Fortitude alongside his wife Maryann, an HSE professional with cross sector experience.
The company was created in 2020 following the Grenfell disaster to support organisations involved in onshore construction in assessing their safety culture by looking beyond compliance and legislation, encouraging them to “emotionally connect with employees to positively influence safety culture”.
Proactive safety culture
Mr Rae said he will draw on his extensive safety experience in his new role with Fortitude.
“What I experienced on Piper Alpha, the world’s worst offshore disaster, will remain with me always and I feel passionately that it should still sit at the forefront of conversations around safety, offshore and elsewhere, ensuring that a legacy of driving change in attitude and action pervades across the generations,” he said.
“For many companies and individuals there is often a tendency for their approach to safety to become reactive, and this is why it’s so important that we take the time to re-visit and assess our safety culture to ensure proactive measures can be developed and implemented.
“This will assist with ensuring the correct safety mindset is deeply ingrained within corporate DNA.
“Approaching safety with conviction and integrity will undoubtedly enhance any forward-thinking safety journey.”
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